Dassault or Siemens PLM? The Contrasting Paths of Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo Cars

What is the best path to a modern PLM solution for automakers? This question demands more than a simple answer. The best path is a matter of optimizing what you've got in combination with the new solutions you need. The same path may not be best for all car companies.

The PLM cases of Volvo Cars (VCC) and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) are examples of two diverging paths that started from the same point (Ford's PAG, Premium Automotive Group). When they were both owned by Ford, they shared the American automakers PLM solution C3PNG (basically CATIA V5 and Siemens Teamcenter). But when Ford –as well as virtually all Western carmakers– ran into difficulties in the aftermath of the 2009 recession, JLR and VCC were both sold to growing companies in China and India.

Both VCC (bought by Chinese Geely Holding) and JLR (Indian Tata Motors) are now financially and technologically successful automotive companies with modern PLM solutions.

Manufacturing in Volvo Cars Chinese Chengdu factory.

Volvo invested in Siemens PLM solution Teamcenter as a backbone, and kept CATIA V5. However, the automaker is reluctant to switch to CATIA V6 and the 3DEXPERIENCE/Enovia V6 platform. "We will not use the V6 version if it requires double PDM installations", says VCC's Andreas Westholm, IT Director – Geely Liaison.

Tata's JLR on the other hand, has chosen to embrace Dassault's path and the vision laid out by CEO Bernard Charles. JLR uses both CATIA V6 and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

Jaguar Land Rover's purchasing director, Ian Harnett, said that the company was on its knees before it was saved by Tata, "The first years of Tata's auspices were tough, but when we introduced new models and achieved major sales success, we got a free hand." With CATIA V6 and DS 3DEXPERIENCE comes the ENOVIA V6 PLM/PDM backbone, which is mandatory if you want to work in a V6 core environment.